About the book:

The supernatural world is rising up against the human one. The weretrappers want control, and only the immortal Dire wolves stand in the way of total destruction. Stray, a Dire, and his long-lost brother, Killian, emerge as the leaders of their pack. To keep themselves and the humans safe, the Dires need a witch as powerful as Seb, who betrayed the Dires to work for the weretrappers.

They find what they are looking for in Kate, a human who survived a horrible car accident that left her back scarred with a handprint no one else can see. Stray senses Kate’s abilities as a witch and recruits her to help the Dires — all the while knowing she is so powerful they will need to kill her once she helps defeat the weretrappers.

Stray doesn’t expect the powerful connection that he feels with Kate, or his irresistible need to protect her. They cannot hide their feelings for each other, and what once was taboo now seems inevitable…

What I’m talking about:

Dire Wants is the second story in Ms. Tyler’s wolf-shifter series, The Eternal Wolf Clan. The overall story centers around the Dire Wolves, a small group of immortal wolf-shifters, each with special abilities, that are burdened with protecting the earth and humans from the evil paranormals, such as witches and demons. They differ from regular weres in that they cannot be killed, are stronger and more violent-natured, and are governed by a mythical god-like group known as the Elders. This story picks up immediately after the first book, Dire Needs.

Our book opens with a brief prologue giving the reader a snapshot into the childhood of our heroine, Kate. Clearly she’s gifted with some sort of “powers,” and her mother abuses Kate, claiming Kate is doing the devil’s work. Kate’s life changes dramatically the day she survives a massive car accident that takes the lives of her parents.

We flash forward to current day where Kate is unknowingly being used by Leo Shimmin, ring leader of a warped group of weretrappers bent on destroying the Dires and using the weres to take over the humans. Kate is rescued by Dire Brother, Stray, who finds an instant bond to Kate. He immediately recognizes that she is a witch of great power, even though Kate doesn’t have a clue about the supernatural world. Stray brings her into the Dire fold, where trust is an issue, since witches and Dires do not normally get along (especially after the Dires were betrayed by their good friend and witch, Seb).

Much like its predecessor Dire Needs, Dire Wants is full of information about the overall mythology, coupled with several characters and subplots. The first few chapters felt a bit like an information dump. The names and characters were a bit much to follow at times, but I was able to manage my way through. In the scenes that focused on interactions between the Dire brothers, the dialogue felt insincere, strained, choppy and rough. The scenes and locations shifted often, adding to confusion and the incohesive feel. However, once the story moved back to Kate and focused less on backstory, it smoothed out.

I enjoyed the pairing of Stray and Kate. Although I felt the expression of feelings of love came way too quickly (for Stray), I did like their instant connection. I enjoyed their ability to open themselves to each other, and find a friendship and peace together. The scenes when the pair discover that Stray is Kate’s “familiar” are some of my favorites. Although they couldn’t/didn’t consummate their relationship for most of the book, their scenes were still very steamy. However, as much as I enjoyed them as a couple, I was disappointed with how their coupling was ultimately received by the Elders (It is a known “fact” that mating can only occur with a Dire female).

One of the more critical subplots of the story was the return of Stray’s brother, Killian, whose existence was kept secret by Stray until recently. There is a Dire prophecy that involves two brothers with dangerous abilities, and Stray and Killian seem to fit the bill. In the end, I don’t feel that the prophecy has much baring on the storyline; however, learning more about the brother’s history is worthwhile.

The biggest threat to the Dires and humanity is the increasing power of the weretrappers. Leo controls a demon-possessed Seb, who has raised the Dire Ghost Army using dark magic. The army consists of the dead ancestors of the Dire brotherhood, and these ghosts blame their deaths on the current generation. Their violent ways and thirst for destruction have only increased since their deaths, and they are ready to destroy the brotherhood. (Which is why having Kate around is so critical – it is believed she alone can stop Seb.)

Throughout the book, there are a few interesting twists and surprises, but non more spectacular than the mutual attraction between FBI agent Angus and werewolf Cain. Let me tell you now that I want MORE of these two mismatched men. Their chemistry was raw and honest, and I couldn’t get enough. I hope we see more of this promising yet difficult relationship in future books.

One surprise that I wasn’t too keen on is the fact that pretty much the entire overall story arc wrapped up in this, the second book. I felt that the series was building towards something massively spectacular and was shocked to see so much of it be solved and concluded by the end of Dire Wants. I’m happy with the way things ended, but a little disappointed in how easily and quickly it all came to be. The third book, Dire Desires, is scheduled for a July 2013 release, so I hope the story will shift to focus more on the turmoil within the were packs and away from the Dires.

Overall, even with the ups and downs, I enjoyed the mythology created by Ms. Tyler in her Eternal Wolf Clan series. I liked the connection between Stray and Kate, and the fact that he is her “familiar” helped emphasize the “fated pair” idea. Although I was on the fence about having so much wrapped up after only two books, I look forward to seeing what happens next, especially from the weres and Angus and Cain. The book has some good storylines, but sometimes there was just too much going on and the choppiness made it hard to follow. In the end, although it took a while to get into, the second half of Dire Wants went more smoothly, and I’m definitely in for another round.

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2 Responses to “Review: Dire Wants by Stephanie Tyler”

This series is new to me and despite some issues it has many elements I love in this type of novel. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. New follower thanks to the lovely and talented Felicia@ GeekyBlogger.

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